The Portland Trail Blazers announced today that they are welcoming a limited number of fans to Moda Center beginning Friday, May 7 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Following State guidelines, the venue will be limited to 10 percent capacity until further notice.
The Trail Blazers will continue to follow CDC and OHA guidelines, coordinate with infectious disease and public health experts and work closely with the NBA to determine and maintain safe protocols. Rose Quarter staff have been apprised of all new policies and procedures related to COVID-19 and trained on proper cleaning and disinfecting protocols to ensure all areas of the arena are being maintained to the highest level.
“Thank you, Governor Kate Brown and the Oregon Health Authority, for your leadership and keeping Oregon as safe as possible. Allowing limited fans back to Moda Center is a big step for our state moving forward in the pandemic,” said Chris McGowan, President and CEO of the Trail Blazers and Rose Quarter. “We are thrilled to welcome limited fans to Moda Center and bring back the best home court advantage in the league. We are putting health and safety at the forefront of every game and have many new arena improvements and changes to the guest experience that will create a seamless and contactless experience.”
Ticket presales will start Thursday morning, May 6 for all remaining regular season home games. Ticket access will be available on a priority basis to current Season Ticket Holders and other priority clients who will receive an email with more information. Courtside seating will be extremely limited and only available on a priority basis to current Courtside clients. If any tickets remain at the conclusion of the presale, they will be made available to the public through trailblazers.com.
The Trail Blazers top priority continues to be the health and safety of the players, staff and fans. With safety at the forefront, many changes have been implemented at Moda Center, including:
• All fans will be required to wear a mask while in the arena unless actively eating or drinking.
• Tickets will be sold in “pods”, allowing for guests within the same household to sit together and remain physically distanced from other ticketed guests. Pods will be spaced at least six feet apart and limited at one to six people per pod.
• All Moda Center tickets will be mobile to ensure a contactless entry into the arena. Tickets can be accessed through the Trail Blazers app presented by Verizon.
• All fans will be required to complete a Mandatory Health Screening via the Trail Blazers mobile app. All ticketed fans must provide proof of a successful health screening before entering the arena.
• Fans will have designated arena entry locations based on seating location.
• Installed new MERV 14 hospital grade filters, portable HEPA units to enhance air cleaning and increase outside air ventilation as much as possible.
• The Rose Quarter will now be a cash-free campus, creating a frictionless & contactless customer experience.
• The Rose Quarter has implemented a no-bag policy to create a frictionless and contactless customer experience, with exceptions for medical needs, children’s bags and women’s clutches, which must be screened via an x-ray machine before entering the arena. More information on the new bag policy can be found at the website below.
• Food and beverage will be extremely limited, and all food will be packaged for safety.
• The Rose Quarter has earned the WELL Health-Safety Rating through the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). The WELL Health-Safety Rating is an evidence-based, third-party-verified rating for all new and existing building and space types focusing on operational policies, maintenance protocols, stakeholder engagement and emergency plans to address public health concerns now and help organizations be better prepared for future crises.
To learn more about Moda Center health and safety precautions including our latest WELL certification, mandatory health screening, FAQs and more please visit rosequarter.com/welcome-back.
Source: Portland Trail Blazers